Saint of the day August 21: Saint Pius X. Catholic Saints

Every August 21, the Catholic Church celebrates Pope Saint Piuspontiff between 1903 and 1914, at the dawn of the 20th century. He governed in times of profound changes that served, sadly, as a prelude to true failures for humanity, such as the Russian Revolution and the First World War.

Precisely, in this difficult context, Pius

“Establish everything in Christ”

Pius X assumed the see of Saint Peter after the death of Pope Leo He encouraged them to approach her regularly, if possible to cultivate the custom of daily mass.

That is where his “reform” began, very much in line with the motto he chose for his pontificate: “Establish everything in Christ”; That is, to transform the world – increasingly distant from God – we must build on the most secure of foundations: Christ. Without Him every human enterprise is doomed to fail.

A son of his time

Giuseppe Melchor Sarto was born on June 2, 1835, in Riese, Italy; son of a postman and member of a humble family. He was a child who grew up under the conditions of the Italian working class at the end of the 19th century. XIX. Despite the difficulties, he was always a happy, sensitive and intelligent boy.

As he grew up, his restless spirit moved him to deepen his faith and vocation. What he wanted most was to love God and his brothers, so the most serious moment arrived: he considered becoming a priest.

Years later, at 23, he would receive priestly orders in the province of Treviso, Venice (Italy).

Dizzying ecclesiastical career

In 1867 he was appointed archpriest of Salzano, an important municipality in the diocese of Treviso, where he restored the church and helped with the expansion and maintenance of the hospital. At the same time, he worked so that public school students could receive religious instruction.

In November 1884 he was appointed bishop of Mantua, a very difficult see. Upon assuming office, his main concern was the training of the clergy, so he began to work in the seminary, personally taking charge of teaching dogmatic theology.

Later, to his surprise, Pope Leo XIII created him a cardinal in a secret consistory in June 1893, granting him the title of “Saint Bernard of the Baths.” Three days later, in a public consistory, he was praised as “Patriarch of Venice”, retaining the title of Apostolic Administrator of Mantua.

However, the now Cardinal Sarto had to wait 18 months to take possession of his diocese, since the Italian government refused to grant him official recognition. Once he could be erected as Patriarch of Venice, he concentrated his attention again on the seminary, where he organized the faculty of canon law.

renewing spirit

Years later, as pontiff, he made important reforms in tune with the times and the needs of the faithful. One of them was published by decree of the Sacred Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, “Quam Singulari” (How singular). The Pope there recommended that First Communion be administered to young children as soon as they had the use of reason.

For the fiftieth anniversary of the proclamation of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, Pius in St. Peter’s Basilica. Through this encyclical, the Pope gave new impetus to devotion to Mary Mother of God.

In relation to the teaching of Christian doctrine, he published the encyclical “Acerbo nimis” (Too bitter), in which he proposed that catechesis also be directed to adults. He also promoted the publication of a new catechism for the diocese of Rome.

Just as when he was a bishop, always concerned about the training of priests, as Pope he intervened through the teaching profession: he published the encyclical “Pieni l’animo” (My spirit is full), addressed to the Italian Episcopate (1906), in which he emphasized in the need to take greater care in the ordination of priests, drawing the attention of the bishops to the fact that, among the younger clerics, a spirit of independence that was not compatible with ecclesiastical discipline was increasingly manifested.

On the other hand, he ordered that the Italian seminaries be visited frequently by the bishops.

Christianity and modernity

Another of his great concerns was to preserve the purity of the faith, which is why, in 1907, he published the decree “Lamentabili” (also called the “Syllabus of Pius X”), in which 65 modernist propositions were condemned. Most of them referred to the Holy Scriptures and their inspiration, the doctrine of Jesus and the apostles; while others were related to dogma, sacraments and the primacy of the Bishop of Rome.

Shortly after, on September 8, 1907, he published the encyclical “Pascendi Dominici gregis” (Feed the flock of the Lord), where he exposed and condemned the system of modernism, highlighting its dangers in relation to philosophy, apologetics, exegesis, history. , liturgy and discipline, and shows the contradiction between that current of thought and faith.

The Pope theologian

Throughout his life, Saint Pius He ordered that Gregorian chant be used everywhere and arranged for chant books to be printed in the same type of font used in the Vatican, under the supervision of a special commission.

As the study of the Bible is very important for theology, Pope Pius X wanted to found a special center in Rome for such studies, which would guarantee orthodoxy and scientific value. Finally, with the support of the Jesuits, he founded the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome.

Under his pontificate, the Code of Canon Law was updated and completed in which authorities on the subject from around the world collaborated. The characteristic of the new regulation is the complete separation of the judicial aspects from the administrative ones; while the functions of some departments were determined more precisely and their works more balanced.

He made a series of important changes in the Vatican curia and published a motu proprio with 19 propositions – especially for the Church in Italy – with which he sought to confront certain tendencies inclined towards socialism, which promoted a spirit of insubordination to ecclesiastical authority.

Setting the tone for future pontiffs

By virtue of all these elements, it is clear that Pius X was a great protector of Catholic doctrine and discipline. The brilliance of his doctrinal work was recognized even outside the Church. At the same time, Saint Pius X is recognized for his apostolic spirit, the strength of his character, the precision of his decisions and his zeal for the right formation of Catholics.

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If you want to know more about this great saint, we recommend reading this article from the Catholic Encyclopedia: https://ec.aciprensa.com/wiki/Papa_San_Pío_X.